Sonoma Vineyards and the Fine Art of Wine Tasting

Here I am at the Viansa Vineyard. Isn’t this a great old structure?

A view of the Viansa Vineyard

Most Marketers agree that one of the best ways to get your customers to buy is to get them to sample what ever you are selling. That’s why you give away an eBook, special report or short video to introduce a bigger product or to get people to join your list. For the same reason you’ll see software manufacturers and membership sites offering a free trial in hopes that people won’t want to go without their product or service once they have experienced it.

But nowhere is the art of sampling practiced in such style as the Sonoma Vineyards in Northern California, where you’re sure to take home a bottle or two once you’ve tasted the season’s best vintages.

Palm and Gum Trees at the Kline Cellar Gardens

At Cline Cellars, our wine tasting experience began with a stroll through incredible gardens with ancient palm and gum trees. The gardens also featured a tiny zoo of rare birds like pheasants. An old train car sporting a table dressed in a white cloth looked as if it was just waiting for a party. The crisp air and brief stroll put you in the mood for wine tasting. Here you can sample for free.

The atmosphere in the small shop is festive just four days before Christmas. Customers surround the bar where the proprietors describe the merits of the various wines before you pick the ones you want to sample. The bar is crowded and I’m a little winded from my walk so I find a place on a bench nearby.

Lisa and I sampling wine at Cline Cellars

But a silver-haired gentleman from behind the bar—perhaps the owner—brings me a sample of a special wine that you drink with dark chocolate, a Cline 2006 Late Harvest Mourvèdre. And I think what a wonderful way to engage your visitors. That’s a challenge webmasters face daily – trying to get your site visitors to stay long enough to sample the content of your website. Perhaps we can learn a thing or two from the Sonoma vintners.